Almost two thirds of Jordanians have changed their views of Al-Qaida for the worse following suicide bombings against Amman hotels that killed more than 50 people last week, a poll said on Wednesday.

The poll of 1,014 people published by independent Al Ghad newspaper also said 87.1 percent of respondents considered Al-Qaida a "terrorist organisation" and that 86.4 percent said the group’s attacks did not represent Islam.

Source: [AP via Haaretz]

Here is a link to an article in Al-Ghad (in Arabic). I think it is really very sad and extremely frustrating that it took an attack in our own backyard for some Jordanians to change their views about Alqaeda terrorism. According to the findings of a poll carried out a few months ago, confidence in bin Laden in Jordan had risen to 60 percent from 55 and support in Jordan for suicide bombings rose to 57 percent from 43 in 2002. It breaks my heart to consider that it took the loss of some innocent Jordanian lives for those that sympathize with Alqaeda to change their minds. Shameful!